1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for reinforcing an earthen containment that retains a body of water. More particularly, the present invention relates to an earthen containment reinforcement system that has a plurality of interconnected, molded panels constructed of recycled rubber vehicle tire material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are generally known for reinforcing earthen containments such as levees, dikes, dams and the like. One problem associated with such earthen containments, however, is that the reinforcements do not respond satisfactorily to motion of the containment as the retained water level changes. U.S. Pat. No. 1,997,132 addresses this issue by disclosing a reinforcement or core that is incorporated in an earthen dam. The core consists of two or more tight elastic walls, with the space between two adjacent walls being occupied by a permeable filler. As the retained water level varies, the elastic walls can follow the motion of the earthen dam.
To provide a more secure reinforcement, U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,363 discloses an impervious core of plate-shaped wall sections made of a poured soil-concrete mixture. To construct the core, particulate fill is deposited on a foundation impervious to water. A trench is excavated in the fill to the foundation, and plate-shaped wall sections are sequentially built in the trench. Each wall section is built by pouring an aqueous slurry into the trench, the solids in the slurry consisting essentially of particulate filler material and an amount of Portland cement sufficient to cause solidification of the slurry. The slurry intended to constitute the lowermost wall section is poured on the foundation, and each subsequent section is poured on the top edge portion of a previously poured and solidified section.
In another approach to reinforcing an earthen containment, U.S. Pat. No. 1,095,249 discloses a reinforcement in the form of a plurality of vertically disposed panels in an earthen dam. Each panel is provided with a tongue and groove so that adjacent vertical panels are rigidly interconnected to form a continuous wall that extends vertically through the dam or levee.
Another susceptibility of earthen containments is that their surfaces are subject to erosion by the retained water. To counteract this erosion, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,885,470, 1,879,430 and 4,832,528 disclose panels that cover the surface of the earthen dam that faces the retained water.
The aforementioned prior art reinforcement systems suffer from various drawbacks, however, including the cost of constructing and maintaining the reinforcement, susceptibility of the overlying surface soil to erosion, and compromise of the waterproof integrity by boring and burrowing animals. Another problem is that vertical reinforcing structures that are buried within the earthen containment can be compromised, and in the absence of an associated anchor to support them, can fail along with remainder of the earthen containment. Failure can also arise from shock to the containment by movement of the surrounding soil as a result of earthquakes or explosions.
Another specific vulnerability associated with the earthen containments is overtopping, in which any release of retained water over the top of the containment can compromise its integrity by washing away soil from the downstream slope of the dam, or in the case of a levee, the landslide of the containment.
The prior art does not disclose, therefore, a system for reinforcing earthen containments that is not only effective and secure, but that is economical to fabricate and maintain. The prior art also does not disclose a structure that prevents erosion of soil from the downstream slope of the dam during overtopping.